This page is a list of opportunities for you to advance your professional skills related to organic agriculture. As the TOPP project evolves, opportunities that are specific to Arkansas will be added here. Our TOPP goals that are related to workforce development include increasing opportunities to train organic inspectors in Arkansas, developing a community of practice among agriculture advisors, and developing training opportunities for agriculture advisors to increase knowledge, resources and support for AR organic farmers.

See our Arkansas Organic Resources Page for specific resources we have developed through this project.

Training and Educational Resources

• Florida Organic Growers Organic Farm Technician Certification – The Certified Organic Farm Technician training provides high school and post-secondary students with the academic, technical, and real-world specialized knowledge, skills, and experiences they’ll need to enter the spectrum of agricultural workforce career opportunities.

• Organic Agronomy Training Service – OATS, the Organic Agronomy Training Service, is a collaboratively-managed training program for agricultural professionals working with organic and transitioning farmers in the United States.

• Organic Agriculture Modules – Dr. Randa Jabbour (University of Wyoming) and colleagues have created a series of modules consisting of lesson plans and resources for teaching a selection of topics related to organic agriculture.

• Organic Farming Research Foundation Online Courses – This online training program is for beginning farmers, existing organic farmers, and farmers in transition to organic production. While it was developed for California specialty crop farmers, the content is based on foundational principles that are relevant to all organic farmers and our hope is that growers across the U.S. find it to be a useful resource.

• Organic Integrity Learning Center – The Learning Center offers online training that supports the professional development and continuing education of organic certifiers, inspectors, reviewers, and other professionals working to protect organic integrity.
  • How to Navigate the Organic Integrity Learning Center (OILC)

• Organic Training – The National Organic Program provides a wide range of free training and outreach materials for organic farms, businesses, and organic certification agencies.

• The National Organic Program  – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), National Organic Program (NOP) develops and provides educational materials for the NOP’s core stakeholder groups, including organic producers, inspectors, certifiers, and other enforcement agencies with a stake in organic.

• Transition to Organic Partnership Program – If interested in transitioning to organic farming TOPPS is the perfect place to get all the tools and resources to help start the transition.

• USDA Organic Training and Transition Assistance – USDA aims to make organic certification accessible, attainable, and affordable for all

• UW Organic Collaborative – The UW Organic Collaborative is a group of faculty, staff, and partners who are committed to increasing the health and resilience of the organic industry. They offer a wide range of research, academics, outreach, and resources on organic growing.